Concept 2000
A state of the art office block designed for the future in 1981, it even won an award from the council and was praised by Prince Charles for its innovative design! The exterior is all reflective glass which was meant to make the building blend in with its environment as it reflected the surrounding area on its façade according to a brochure issued when it was built “Concept House is a "Head Quarters" style building built to a "specification
significantly ahead of its time with features like suspended ceilings with recessed lighting and fully accessed raised floors”.
Which sounds very posh and modern and indeed it is inside retaining its clean and well designed look even now, but sadly Concept was never that popular with companies although the Royal Mail used it for some time but when they
vacated another tenant could not be found and the site was put up for sale and was bought by a development company with the aim to demolish the Concept building and built a lot of boxy apartments in its place. The plan was approved and the building looks to be demolished in the summer of 2007.
Walking around the building it becomes really evident how far ahead of its time the building is and despite being quite trashed internally by people stripping various parts out some of the architecture, particularly the lobby is very unique, the rest of the building internally is pretty non descript having been used as offices but there are some good
views from the higher floors and so I am told the roof!
It is a shame that a building as individual as this will be demolished but I suppose that the need for housing today is greater than the need for an unique distinctive building.
Update Sept 2007: Now demolished, housing being built on site.

